


Hiding In Plain Sight

by EHC



Series: Agent Max Caulfield, UIU [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), SCP Foundation
Genre: Gen, UIU, kind of a throwaway idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 12:17:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHC/pseuds/EHC
Summary: Max Caulfield's time powers have only gotten more powerful as time has gone on. While on the run from several people and organizations who want to dissect her, exploit her, capture her, or kill her (she's not exactly sure who wants to do what and isn't taking any chances), Max discovered one possible avenue of escape. One hard rewind later and she's relived her life anew, then joined the FBI, specifically, the much maligned Unusual Incidents Unit.
Relationships: None
Series: Agent Max Caulfield, UIU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546837
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	Hiding In Plain Sight

**Author's Note:**

> [SCP](http://www.scp-wiki.net/): Secure, Contain, Protect. If you've never heard of this before, no worries. At it's core, it's sorta like a creepypasta database except with an overarching theme that unites all the articles and stories together.
> 
> [The premise](http://www.scp-wiki.net/about-the-scp-foundation): the SCP Foundation is an organization that does it's level best to protect the world and our baseline reality from weird stuff, like monsters, magic, and objects that seemingly violate the laws of physics. These things can be innocuous, like a key that can open any lock, to weird things, like a stairwell that goes down an infinite number of flights, to portals to the moon, to a really pissed off regenerating lizard that's impossible to kill, to world-ending catastrophes barely held at bay through the power of faith. All of these items and people are summarily categorized as SCP-number and denoted as Safe, Euclid, and Keter, depending on their level of danger and/or the ease of keeping said SCP contained.
> 
> Because there is no overarching canon, authors are free to combine whatever articles and entries they'd like to form unique narratives, sometimes writing their own entries that connect different SCPs together. Tales are also written but fanfiction is highly discouraged. Stories and articles have to be original ideas, so you won't find, for example, members from GI-Joe and WOOHP fighting along side Foundation agents to secure an anomalous location from the sinister forces of the Umbrella Corporation. At least, you won't find that on their website. AO3, though? Anything is possible.
> 
> I have seen a few posts on Reddit, mock-up database entries where Max has been categorized as an SCP and detained by the Foundation. Depending on the author, Max is either simply locked away with the SCP Foundation wiping others' memories or making things appear that she was killed off in some way, or she's involuntarily utilized/weaponized as an ultimate failsafe, to ensure that if something happens and some dangerous world-ending entity breaks free and stars wreaking havoc, Max can rewind time and warn the organization ahead of time. However, I had a different idea I wanted to try.

Assistant Director Franklin, head of the Unusual Incidents Unit of the FBI, looked across his desk to the three agents standing before him and sighed deeply. "So that I have something to explain to my superiors that will only hopefully save my ass from yet another reaming, tell me, again, what transpired late this morning that turned what should have been a simple acquisition of an item into what appears to be a terrorist attack."

Agent Carmine cleared his throat. "Sir. As we outlined during our 8 o'clock meeting, we had a solid lead on a possible anomalous artifact. Agent Caulfield, Agent Monroe, and myself, set out to the location in question, an abandoned outdoor storage facility. We arrived at precisely 8:46. Uncertain what to expect, I parked one building away from our target, but when I exited my vehicle..." He fell silent, in obvious discomfort.

"By all means," the Assistant Director stated, "continue."

"Yes, sir. When I exited my vehicle, my pants fell down around my ankles."

Three seconds of dead silence followed the statement, during which time, the Agent in question seemed to shrink into himself even as he stood at attention. Assistant Director Franklin turned his attention to Agent Monroe and raised his eyebrow.

"What he said is correct, sir," she stated. "He got out of the car and had his, shall we say, moment." She'd normally be cracking yet another joke at his expense but not in front of the boss. "I laughed and made a disparaging comment about him needing help getting dressed in the morning or something similar, then nudged Agent Caulfield to join in on the laughs. She didn't get the chance."

Assistant Director Franklin tapped a finger on his desk once. Twice. Thrice. "Because the building exploded."

"Yes, sir," Agent Carmine answered. "Specifically, one storage unit, presumably the one that housed the artifact."

Another moment of silence, though this one wasn't nearly as uncomfortable. "And the artifact?"

"Whatever it was, there was no trace," Agent Monroe replied. "When we examined everything afterwards, we found the unit empty. The only possible evidence anything was there was a scorch mark on the cement floor that led to the destroyed door."

"Hmm. A directed blast, then?"

Agents Carmine and Monroe glanced at each other. "Its likely," Carmine replied. "Though there's no way of knowing for absolute certain if it was a directed attack against us, a booby trap against anyone looking for said artifact, or that was just the nature of the artifact itself, to explode if someone got within 25 feet of it."

"Is there reason to believe the object was, in fact, anomalous and not just an ordinary IED?"

"No, sir, there isn't."

"Hmm." Assistant Director Franklin fell silent as he considered the facts presented to him, juggled various potential outcomes, then looked over to his newest agent. "Caulfield. Give me your take on the probable next steps in this investigation."

The young agent straightened. "Yes, sir. Investigate the anonymous tip, to determine if any further information can be derived. Investigate the storage facility itself, find out anything about the previous owners, why it was abandoned, see if it been used by other persons or groups of interest in the past. Dig into the archives, to see if there have been any attacks of a similar MO against UIU agents. And keep an eye out on Agent Carmine's mental welfare, as a precaution."

"Christ, I told you I was fine," the agent in question stated quite firmly, finally breaking free from his rigid adherence to protocol.

Assistant Director Franklin raised his hand to quiet the protests. "And why do you say that, Agent Caulfield?"

"When we recovered from the shock of the blast and started our investigation, it became obvious that if Carmine's pants hadn't fallen down, delaying us for those crucial seconds, he would've been right in front of the unit's door when the detonation occurred. Judging by how deeply some of the shrapnel was embedded into the neighboring metal door, it's highly likely he would've been seriously injured if not killed outright."

The Assistant Director looked over to his senior agent. "Without the benefit of your typical gung-ho attitude, is what Agent Caulfield said correct?"

Agent Carmine took a deep breath, then let it out. "Yes, sir."

There was another moment of silence as the Assistant Director let those two words hang in the air. While he could, technically, order Carmine to speak to the on-site psychologist, he also knew it wouldn't do a lick of good at the moment. "I'll leave it to you to determine if you need any assistance in that regard," he said finally. "But I want your assurances that you will, in fact, seek out said assistance should it come necessary. We have too few agents as it is. We can ill-afford to lose another."

"Yes, sir. I will, sir."

Assistant Director Franklin nodded once. "Very well. I expect a full report on my desk by 5 o'clock. Dismissed. Agent Caulfield, a moment."

The agent in question watched as Carmine and Monroe left, the latter giving her a sympathetic look. It was common that Caulfield, being the newest addition to the UIU, was held after any standard debriefing to speak to the Assistant Director personally, presumably to go over any mistakes she had made or emphasize the things she got right.

When the door had closed, Max turned to her superior. "Sir?"

"Sit." Assistant Director Franklin waited for Max to sit in the chair across his desk before sighing deeply. "What really happened out there today?"

"It's exactly as Carmine explained," Max began. "We pulled into the abandoned storage facility, parked, and exited the car. We approached the storage unit in question on foot. Carmine was in the lead, followed by Monroe, then myself. There definitely was an explosion of sorts, though it was no standard bomb or IED I've studied."

"So, it was anomalous?"

"Yes. It was less an explosion and more of a clawed hand composed of green fire. The hand punched through the aluminum door, sending some shrapnel flying, though far less than would be expected. The hand grabbed Carmine, enveloped his entire body in its grip, then squeezed. There was no residual heat, though it must have been tremendously hot as it started cooking his skin almost immediately. I'm certain it would have scorched his body to the bone in seconds had I not acted."

"Christ." Assistant Director Franklin took a moment to shake his head. "I know the stench of burned flesh well due to the war. It's something you never, ever forget." He looked Max in the eye. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"So am I," Max agreed. "I would up rewinding further back than what was strictly needed since I needed several seconds to recover and not throw up in the back seat of the car."

"I wonder if it would've salved Carmine's pride if you had used that as a distraction rather than his pants."

"Probably, but then I'd be bitched at by both him and Monroe for ruining the car and I didn't want to deal with that for the next six months. Plus, he was a bit of a dick yesterday and deserved it."

Assistant Director Franklin waved that aside. "That's neither here nor there. You saved his life. That's what I care about."

"Yes, sir."

"I take it you weren't able to see this anomalous object before you did your trick?"

"Not clearly, sir. I did take a glance as I was rewinding but all I saw was a short pole, possibly wood, standing upright. It resembled a burnt out log in a fireplace. I couldn't determine any possible markings or anything similar before I was beyond the vantage point."

"And the claw itself?"

"Distinctive in appearance. Three fingers, two thumbs, talons on the end."

"Hmm." That description meant nothing to him and didn't match any of the files he'd read, so he dropped it. "I take it neither Carmine nor Monroe were able to see this hand the second time through."

"No, sir. We were a building down and around the corner. They certainly heard the explosion, though the hand itself and the pole that presumably was the source had completely disappeared by the time we reached the unit. There were no remains."

"In you professional opinion, was this a deliberate attack against us?"

"Doubtful, sir. I believe Carmine's second theory holds the most weight: that it was a trap or leftover anomalous object that was triggered by proximity. Anyone could have set it off. We were the unfortunate investigators that actually did so."

"If that's the case, then why hadn't it gone off before now? An abandoned storage facility, even fenced off as it was, is ripe for exploration by bored kids, gang members marking turf, dealers looking for a new place to conduct business, or realtors scoping out the property, to see if it's something worth purchasing for remodeling."

That was very true and made Max hesitate. "I don't know, sir."

"Then that's your next task, agent. Research what you mentioned before, uncover what you can. I expect a preliminary report on my desk at five."

"Yes, sir." Max rose from the chair. "Will that be all?"

"For now, yes. And Max?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you."

"Of course, sir."

**Author's Note:**

> To all of my regulars: sorry this isn't Worthy or 13! I'm still working on 13 and, at last count, was about 7600 words into the final chapter. But then this idea took root and had to be exercised from my brain. Any authors out there know what that's like.
> 
> This idea is admittedly a weird one, though not necessarily because of the premise. More like, I feel I can't share it anywhere else beside here or my Tumblr page. I had considered cross-posting it to the r/SCP subreddit but I know, just know, that I'd be lambasted into oblivion for daring to post fanfic there. I also don't know how many SCP fans are here on AO3 since they do have their own places to hang out and share ideas.
> 
> (Okay, I just checked, and as of this date, there are 540 posts under SCP Foundation, so there are way more than I originally thought)
> 
> The general gist I have is that Max, possibly as a result of her being successfully captured by the SCP Foundation, found out about the Unusual Incidents Unit and figured, as a government agency and not some shadowy cabal, she could hide amongst them and be safe. She was able to escape due to the Foundation not really understanding her limitations, and rewound to before she ever attended Blackwell, and stayed in Seattle. She kept her head down, helped Chloe long-distance, then took her life in a completely different direction. She eventually joined the FBI, transferred to the UIU, and have been working there ever since. As poorly funded and understaffed as they are, Max feels she can do genuine good here while also researching her own powers, perhaps find out their origin in the process.
> 
> At some unknown point when she first started, she was called into the boss' office and asked point-blank why he'd been approached by an agent of the SCP and asked to keep a close eye on Max and report anything unusual about her to them. Figuring she could rewind if it backfired, Max took a chance and told her boss about her power, demonstrated them, and explained how she's come to the UIU for protection. Fortunately for Max, her boss doesn't really appreciate an outside organization trying to influence his department, never mind they actually do good work for the general public, and agreed to keep Max's secret. Since then, she has proven herself a reliable field agent despite her relative youth.
> 
> The overall idea I have in this story is that Max has used her powers in the past to save the lives of her fellow agents, usually through odd coincidences that can be written off (freezing time to sabotage someone's belt and pants, for example). This has ingratiated herself to her boss, who is now convinced it was the right thing to keep Max's secret.


End file.
